1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cosmetic preparation and method for applying the preparation to fingernails and toe nails.
2. Description of the Related Art The art is crowded with various nail polish compositions and methods of applying nail art designs to fingernails. Such methods and compositions are no longer limited to a single, uniform color of nail polish applied to all of one""s fingernails or toe nails. It is now commonplace to paint multi-color designs on each nail, sometimes adding sparkles, decals, and other design elements to enhance the overall appearance of the polished nails. This is usually done by airbrushing or free hand painting, both of which require a considerable degree of skill and artistic ability. For this reason, anything beyond conventional polishing of nails with a uniform color must usually be done by a professional at a nail salon.
Now that the art has gone beyond the traditional single color and French manicure, new and more unusual appearances are becoming increasingly popular. In recent years, more contemporary, and sometimes wild painted nail designs and colors have set a trend in the cosmetic industry. Among the new products which have recently been introduced to the market is a nail lacquer which leaves a crackle appearance when it dries. The crackle appearance which results using the composition of the present invention is similar to an appearance known in the furniture industry for creating an antique finish. However, the crackle lacquer used in the furniture industry is not suitable for use in the cosmetic industry, as it contains a number of toxic components which present a health hazard. In the past, others may have attempted to achieve the crackle effect in a nail polish composition, however, it is believed that such attempts have been unsuccessful due to the difficulty in producing a non-toxic crackle composition which has physical characteristics that make it suitable for application by both brushing and spraying on fingernails and toe nails. The first known success in developing a safe, non-toxic crackle lacquer which is useful and acceptable for application to fingernails and toe nails was achieved in the development of my previous nail lacquer compositions described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,989,575 and 5,935,590.
While several emulsion crackle fingernail polishes have reached the market, it is believed that their success has been limited due to several problems. These problems are largely due to the formulations used in the manufacture of these products. Specifically, the emulsion crackle fingernail polishes presently on the market are difficult to remove from the fingernails after 24 hours from initial application. Further, consumers complain that the emulsion crackle fingernail polishes flake or chip and, when placed in contact with soapy dishwater, the crackle lacquer softens. Also, opening and closing the bottle causes drying of the liquid crackle lacquer in the interior threads. This results in dry particles falling inside the bottle and contaminating the liquid contents.
In view of the strong demand for unique and attractive nail polish products in the industry, and particularly crackle fingernail polishes, the present invention attempts to improve the previously known emulsion crackle nail polishes which are presently on the market. More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to eliminate the problems associated with existing emulsion crackle nail polishes which are presently on the market.
The present invention is directed to a cosmetic preparation and a method of applying the cosmetic preparation to fingernails and toe nails. The cosmetic preparation includes a crackle composition for application to nails which have one or more coats of previously applied conventional colored nail polish thereon. This crackle composition includes a pigment and a binder provided in a ratio to create a physical action upon drying of a layer applied to the nails, wherein a lack of cohesive strength between the pigment and the binder results in shrinking of the applied layer to form cracks therein. The previously applied underlying colored nail polish is thus visible through the cracks formed in the overlying layer of the crackle composition which is of a different color.
Contributing to the crackle formation is a softer base upon which the crackle composition is applied. This results in a harder film of the crackle composition when dried. The different in contraction between the dried base coat and the crackle coat produces additional cracking on the top coat. In a preferred embodiment, the solvents or volatiles in the crackle composition (resin portion) are 50% water, 2% surfactants, and 3% coalescent. In a preferred embodiment, the crackle composition has a pigment volume concentration (PVC) of approximately 30% (xc2x15%). The resin content is a phenyl ethylene acrylic copolymer emulsion with a glass transition temperature of 44xc2x0 C.xc2x110xc2x0 C. The coalescent is dipropylene glycol methyl ether, or equivalents thereto. The crackle coat composition can be either brushed or sprayed on the nails to provide a uniform layer thereon. During air drying, which requires approximately five to ten minutes, cracking of the applied crackle coat occurs and two colors become visible; the color of the crackle coat and the color of the conventional fingernail polish which appears through the cracks of the crackle coat layer.
To obtain a high gloss over the crackle coat, a conventional clear gloss layer can be brushed or sprayed over the crackle coat layer after the crackle coat layer has completely dried. For the highest gloss, two coats of clear gloss lacquer can be applied.
The cosmetic preparation of the present invention provides a novel and distinct visual appearance on polished fingernails. In contrast to the one solid color appearance produced by conventional fingernail polish products, the cosmetic preparation of the present invention produces two colors with a randomly created crackle design. More specifically, the top crackle coat appears as one color while a different color of the underlying coat of conventional nail polish is visible through the cracks formed in the top crackle coat.
The cosmetic preparation of the present invention is useful in combination with virtually any commercially available fingernail polish. The cosmetic preparation includes two separate compositions which are applied independently of the other by either brushing or spraying. Specifically, the cosmetic preparation includes a clear coat base composition which is applied to the surface of any dry colored fingernail polish which has been previously painted on the fingernails or toe nails. The clear coat base composition is applied in a uniform layer by either brushing or spraying over the surface of the previously polished nails, and allowed to dry for three to ten minutes at ambient temperature.
The cosmetic preparation further includes a crackle coat composition which comprises non-toxic ingredients, including a binder portion and a pigment portion. The binder portion includes volatile and non-volatile components, and more specifically, select resins. The pigment portion includes one or more color pigments and a pigment extender. As a practical matter, the pigments used in nail polish must conform to appropriate national legislation. The color pigments used in the composition of the present invention are all certified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The crackle coat composition is applied to the exposed, dry surface of the base coat by either brushing or spraying. The applied layer of the crackle coat should be uniform across the entire upper side of the nails. During drying for a period of five to ten minutes at ambient temperature, the applied layer of crackle coat forms random cracks in the applied layer, thereby exposing the color of the underlying conventional nail polish. This phenomenon of cracking of the crackle coat layer is a physical reaction which results from over pigmentation plus using a specific water borne resin with a glass transition temperature of 44xc2x0 C.xc2x110xc2x0 C. More specifically, the crackle coat composition includes a pigment and a binder which are provided in a ration that creates a lack of cohesive strength between the pigment and binder. This results in shrinking of the applied layer of the crackle coat composition when drying, thereby creating the desired cracks. The amount of pigment in the composition, or pigment volume concentration (PVC), is expressed in terms of the percentage of the volume of pigment in relation to the total volume of the non-volatile portion of the composition. Satisfactory results have been achieved with a pigment volume concentration ranging between 25% and 35%.
In many instances, the clear coat base composition can be omitted, depending upon the surface quality and chemical composition of the particular fingernail polish which has been previously applied to the nails. However, to ensure a uniform foundation for subsequent coatings, application of the clear coat base composition is generally recommended prior to applying the crackle coat composition. The clear base coat further prevents bleeding or migration of the conventional nail polish through to the subsequently applied crackle coat composition, thereby serving as a barrier.
The compositions of the present invention include an emulsion, a resin, one or more FDA certified pigments, and pigment extenders. The following are examples of each of these components.
Volatile Solvents and Coalescents
Propylene glycol methyl ether acetate
Dipropylene glycol methyl ether (glycol ether solvent)
Water
Phenyl ethylene-acrylic copolymer emulsion with a glass transition temperature of 44xc2x0 C.xc2x110xc2x0 C.
FDandC colors (FDA certified pigments)
Magnesium silicate (Vantac 6H)
Silicone dioxide (Amorphous silica)
Aluminum stearate
Calcium carbonate
Barium sulfate
Aluminum silicate
Calcium silicate
Calcium sulfate
The following examples are illustrative of compositions of the cosmetic preparation of the present invention.